The Fight
by WarrinPeace
Summary: My answer to one of Fiona12690's challenges. Just an angsty little one shot about how Mutt really feels about his new found family.


Disclaimer: Yeah right, if I owned any of this I wouldn't be working at the vets office right now.

Author Notes: Challenge issued by Fiona12690, I'm enjoying her story "It Haunts" So much I figured I'd answer at least one of her challenges!

The Fight

It was the same fight they always had. Go back to school, sell your motorcycle, show some respect. The fight usually went in circles until Mutt got frustrated and left. Indiana Jones was a stubborn man, but he did care about his son. He really only wanted what was best for him. When Mutt had stormed out much earlier than he usually would, Indiana tried to take his mind off it. He was worried when Mutt didn't return after an hour. Spotting his leather jacket on the chair, Indiana realized Mutt had gone out without his motorcycle and without his jacket. He left his papers were they were and set out to find his wayward son.

Indiana had checked all of Mutt's usual haunts and was beginning to worry about where exactly his son could be. He stumbled upon him quite by accident. He was sitting on a bench in the park, arms wrapped tightly around himself, teeth clenched to keep from chattering. Indiana approached him slowly, trying to appear calm and collected. He intended to tell Mutt things were fine, and he wasn't angry. He planned to tell Mutt he really was only looking out for his best interests, he intended to tell his son all these things, however, what came out was entirely different.

"You really are a pain in the ass." He snarled, throwing the jacket he grabbed at his son. Worry flared up in him when Mutt couldn't seem to curl his fingers around the warming fabric. Indiana opened his mouth to say something before he realized arguing with the boy was how they got into this situation to begin with. He sighed and sat down heavily next to his son, who barely flickered a glance over to him. With a sigh he reached over and draped the jacket over his son's shaking shoulder's.

"Sorry." It was said so quietly the older man had to lean in to hear it. He really studied his son then, and was not pleased with what he saw. His son was pale and shivering, and he looked at him through tired, bruised looking eyes. Eyes one so young should not have. To buy himself time to make sure he would not say something he would regret later, he busied himself making sure the jacket covered his half frozen son. He did not like how cold Mutt's skin was, or the audible growl his stomach made.

"It's ok." He told him simply. They both knew it wasn't, but had the good sense to keep quiet about it. They sat for a moment before Mutt spoke up again.

"I'll go back." He said in a slightly flat voice. "If that's what you really want, I'll go back and I'll...I'll even sell my bike." Indiana looked at him, frowning slightly at the break in Mutt's voice. His son looked so defeated, like he just signed his own death warrant. It suddenly hit Indiana what exactly he was asking his son to do. Give up one of the only things that mattered to him, his bike.

"I would really like you to go back to school." Indiana agreed. "But you can keep your bike, and maybe work...part time on them." He said trying to compromise with him, if Mutt was willing to go to school, Indiana should be willing to bend a little too. "If your grades stay good that is." He tacked on.

"Ok." Mutt agreed, but his voice was still far to weary for his father's liking. Indiana stood quickly pulling his son upright with him.

"Come on, let's go home and get you fed and warmed up before your mother skins us both alive." That got a small smile out of the boy and he shook his head.

"She'll just kill me, but you she'll make you suffer first."

"Probably." Indiana agreed, steering his son towards the car. "So tell me, why'd you suddenly agree to go back to school and even offer to sell your bike?" He got Mutt in the car and ducked in himself, waiting for his son's response. He was beginning to think he wasn't going to get one when his son started talking.

"I just..I'm sick of fighting about it." Instead of the usual defensive tone Mutt used when they talked about things, there was nothing that could be read in his tone. That alone set off a number of alarms in the older man's head.

"You know you can talk to me right?" Indiana offered, noting the look Mutt shot him out of the corner of his eye.

"It's hard to talk to you." Mutt said softly, letting his head loll back against the seat.

"What is this really about?" Indiana asked softly. This wasn't just about him going to school or giving up his motorcycle, this was something bigger, and the older man could feel it just under the surface. It took a minute, but as Indiana had predicted it was only a matter of time before the kid blew, and told him everything.

"It's hard for me to just let you be my dad, I don't really know you yet. I tried not to make a big deal out of you and mom getting married so quickly. I bit my tongue when Ox was more or less shoved out of my life because he wasn't needed by mom as much anymore. Did it even occur to either of you that I might still need him? Maybe I need someone to talk to who isn't one of my parents? Yeah he comes by occasionally, but he's not _here_. I wasn't asked if I was ok with any of this. I was just expected to give everything up...to do what you wanted me to do because now your my father." He stopped talking, turning his head away to look out the window and tensing up as if he was sure his father was going to blow up at him again. There was a long tense pause and Mutt shook his head, refusing eye contact. "I didn't think you wanted to hear it, but you asked."

Indiana's mind was reeling with this information. He was right, Neither he nor the boy's mother had asked him what he thought, they hadn't really taken his feelings into consideration. They just assumed he would fall into place in their lives easily enough and things would work out. He had in reality, been treated like a pet, who would just assume his life with the new person in it. With that horrifying thought, Indiana wanted to reach out for his son, but resisted the urge.

"I'm sorry." He said at last, and Mutt's head jerked around, surprise now warring with the weariness in his eyes. "Your absolutely right. I wasn't your dad until recently, and I should not be making demands on you all the time. If you really feel strongly about not going back to school, then, we can talk about it."

"No." Mutt said shaking his head. "No, I'll go back. More talking will just lead to more arguing. So let's go with what you said before. I'll go back to school, and I'll work part time. It's a good compromise, and it'll make mom happy if I'm back in school."

"What's it gonna take to make _you_ happy?" Indiana asked and the boy looked back out the window.

"I just need some time." Mutt said refusing to look at his father.

"Ok, that's fine." Indiana agreed. "Everyone needs time to sort things out, and I'm afraid we didn't give you any. I'll let you dictate where you want to go from here. When or even if you want to get to know me, just let me know." He watched as Mutt fidgeted for a second before several of the shadows that clung to his face filtered away and his face cleared.

"That sounds good." Mutt agreed, then turned to see his father better. "I'm starving, I thought you said we were gonna go home so I could eat." Indiana laughed and nodded.

"Ok, I'll make you whatever you want."

"Could we maybe...go get a pizza instead just you and me?" Mutt asked nervously and his father smiled.

"Yeah Kid, let's do that." Indiana knew it was a pale attempt to try and make a truce. He was sure his son was suffering enough without the added guilt of feeling like he had hurt his father's feelings. He was making the effort, it was small, but it was something, and it that was good enough for him.

Finis.

A/N 1.5- Ok so that was it. It turned out completely differently than I expected it too. Fiona, I hope you liked my answer to your challenge!


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